Good questions!
Can you speak to where/when this official hardware list will be released?
It will be released here on the forum before the official Jam period begins, and can be expanded depending on whether we can reasonably get the hardware into the hands of the judges. Anyone can request that particular hardware be approved. So far, we've approved the Parrot AR Drone 2, Raspberry Pi, and Arduino, with more no doubt on the way. If you let us know what kind of hardware you have in mind, we can look into it -- the earlier, the better 
Will there be some "standard" robotics platform?
Nope. The two key expectations are that (1) the hardware is available to at least some of our judges and (2) a technically savvy judge can get the demo working in a reasonable amount of time (in other words, no custom-designed robotic arms). This is to ensure that all submissions can be judged fairly, and also so that the broader community can play and experiment with them. Within that framework, you can use pretty much any platform/integration that works for you.
Will I need to provide the hardware to the judges?
No, this isn't required.
Does it need to be made with hobbyist level off the shelf components, or can I use more specialized hardware?
This depends on how specialized, and how difficult it would be to set up and judge. Ultimately it's up to the judges whether a particular project is unworkable, so I'd probably shoot for an enthusiast project unless specialized hardware is absolutely vital. In any case, you'll want to get the hardware approved ahead of time.
